Self-attaching index tab



mm u NN R EO O VC. W mc A N J. C. CONDON SELF-ATTACHING INDEX TAB Filed Feb. 4, 1950 Dec. 30, 1952 Patented Dec. 30, 1952 SELF-ATTACHING .INDEX TAB :lohn 1C. Condon, `Oak Park, Ill., assigner of onehalf to Whitney Munson, Red Bank, N. J.

.Application February 4, 1950, Serial No. 142,479

(Cl. Li0-.23)

4 Claims.

.This .invention relates to what I .term fsnap tabs, particularly devices of this .type andkind wherein `the .structure of .the .male Aand .female coupling portions of the `snap .device are .such as to Aautomatically 4pierce a sheet of paper or other .material `in .the operation .of attaching the tab `to `.the sheet. 4.More particularly, the inventiondeals witha .deviceof 4the character described, Wherein the femaleor .socket portion of the device includes spring .members normally flexed in .opposed directions to eachother with reference to an intermediate line `in providing secure coupling of .themaleor stud member therewith.

.Stillmore particularly, .theinvention deals with a `tab having 'means `for Aautomatically securing a name .card or ticket .together with .a transparent covering therefor in the tab prior to, or in the .operation of, .attaching .the same Ato .a supporting sheet .or folder.

Thenovel features of theinvention willbe best understood fromthe following description, when taken `.together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments ,of the .invention aredisclosed and, .in which, the separate parts are designated `by suitable reference .characters in eachof the views and, in which:

Fig. `1 is a perspective 4view of a .le folder showing one of my snap tabs mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 .is an enlarged face View of .one partof the tab with the male and female portions in coupled relationship.

Fig. 3 `is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 `is a partial section on the vline 4-4 of Fig. 2 .on `an enlarged scale `and showing the socketand stud `partsof the device `all detached.

.Elg..5 .is-asection on the line E- of Fig. 3.

Fig. .Bis -a detailface View of a .tab .attached to `a,supporting.sheet illustratinga modified Vuse of the tab.; and

Fig. 7 lis va partial r-section `on the line l-l of Fig. 6. Y

My invention deals `with what I term a tab which may be utilized as a support for name or title strips as-'applied to file folders or directly to sheets or groups of sheets for convenient ling with the ftab protruding from an edge of the folder or thesheet or sheets for convenient and accessible selection when Stored away 'in a filing cabinet.

.In the accompanying drawing, I have shown one `use `of `the device, for example, as `applied to a .le `folder I0, as seen in.Fig..-1 of the drawing. The folder I0 has two sides -I land I2, within and between which letters .or .other papers can be arranged for filing away "in a file cabinet of any `type or kind, the folder in the construction shown being formed from a single `sheet of material folded as seen at I3. Attached to the edge portion of one fsiderof the folder, for ex ample, `the fside I l, .and at any `desired position alongsaid edge is one yof my improved .tab devices J4.

The tab device, `as considered generally, comprises a `substantially triangular windowed indexing .portionvld The tab Mis formed from a singlesheetof material folded centrally, as `seen at fl'l, .note Fig. 3, to bring `the side-s I8 and I9 .in alinedrelationship to each other. These sides are generally-of the same outline contour, the side I8 having an elongated opening 20 in the portion I6 and extending throughout the major `portion of the length of said portion;

i whereas, the Vside I9 has a smaller opening 2I.

The side `I8 of the tab or the attaching por-- tion I5 of said side has three socket members 22 formed from .the material thereof; whereas, the -side I9 has, centrally with respect vto the sockets 22, headed pin or stud members 23.

The side I8 has, at the intersection between the portions I5 and IB, inwardly pressed stops 2li, `against which the Aupper edge of the sheet I I is adapted lto rest to guide attachment of the tab I4 to the sheet II. The side portion I9 has, Vat the sides of the opening 2|, inwardly pressed `vertically larranged ribs 25, note Fig. 5, which provide a frictional engagement of a name-card or indexing card 26 to support the same in proper alined position with the opening 2.0. The diverging edges of the side I8, between the sockets 22, have outwardly pressed portions 21 which facilitate detachment of the vtab whenever desired.

As each of the sockets 22 Aand the companion studs 2,3 are'of the same construction, the brief description of one will apply to al1 and, in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing, I have shown in 4detail one ofthe socket andstudmembers. The socket 2-2 comprises an annular 'outwardly pressed bead 28, within which are circumferentially spaced series of fingers, one series of -ngers 29 being flexed outwardly; whereas, 'the other series .3U of .fingers are flexed inwardly ias will be `most clearly V seen in Fig. 4 of the drawing. `The inward and `outward ilexures `are with respect to the normal plane of the `sheet or `strip forming the side I3 and, in attaching 4the :stud 23, the bevelled head 3*! of the stud forcibly passes through both ofthe spring iingers .2S and and, in this operation, pierces or lsevers the sheet or sheets being .coupled `together by the device. When the sides I8 and I9 are "joined, theheads 3'I of the studs 23 are beyond the outwardly flexed spring fingers '2%. It will be understood that the lfingers 2t and 3i) will be pressed into a substantial :alinement `with each other, `particularly if the sheet or sheets joined applysuicient pressure upon fthe inner fingers 39.

By providing the oppositely flexed groups of fingers 29 and 30 a secure coupling between the sides I8 and i9 is provided and thus a rm mounting upon the supporting card, sheet or sheets. In some instances, and with some types and kind of mountings, the mounting may be pre-perforated to receive the studs but in normal uses and with several sheets of paper or using thin cardboard or iibreboard, the studs, in combination with the sockets, will automatically form their own openings in the supporting sheets.

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawing, I have shown a slight modification, wherein a name card or title strip is xedly secured in position within the tab by snap-engagement with the uppermost stud and socket members of the tab and this card or strips is further enclosed in a transparent facing sheet covering iront and rear surfaces thereof, particularly around the openings of the tab. As the tab l!! is of the precise structure of the tab shown in Fig. 1, like references will desivnate like parts and considering Fig. 6 of the drawing it will appear that the upper sockets 22 of the side portion i3, including the stud members 23, pass through lower corner portions of a title strip or sheet 62 and a transparent or translucent facing strip or sheet 33. The card or strip 32 terminates at the upper folded portion Il of the tab, as clearly seen in Fig. 7, whereas the sheet 33 is folded, as seen at 34, and includes a back portion 35 of suiiicient length to completely cover the opening i?. l.

Considering lh'g. 6, it will appear that the sheets 32, 33 indicated in dotted lines in said gure are of a width greater than the length of the opening 2li and this width is maintained throughout the i'ull length of the facing sheet 33. With this construction, the transparently covered title strip or sheet 32 can be mounted in the tab at any time and, then, the tab can be attached to the supporting card or sheet in the same manner as attaching the device, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing. With the structure, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, it will be understood that the title sheet, as well as its transparent or translucent covering, is iixedly retained in the tab against displacement. At the same time, these two cards or strips S2 and 33 can be removed from the tab and new ones substituted whenever desired.

While devices of the kind under consideration can be utilized in various types and kinds of indexing for iiles of various descriptions and used in connection with le folders, le partitioning cards and the like, it will also be apparent that these tabs can be directly coupled with several sheets of correspondence for ling purposes and without the use or a mounting card or sheet.

It will also be apparent that I am not limited to the particular contour of the tab herein shown, nor to the use of any particular number of the male and female couplings portions, such as the socket and stud members.

It will also be understood that tabs of the kind under consideration will take-up little or no room in a filing cabinet by reason of the fact that the complete tab is made of thin sheet material which, in the assemblage or the parts, adds very little to the over-all thickness of the le. Furthermore, there are no rough or protruding edges which would interfere with the placement of les in a cabinet or the removal of the same therefrom. v

Having fully described my invention, what I '4 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a pair of plates, means comprising socket and stud parts on said plates for coupling the same together and for detachable mounting on a supporting sheet, said plates including portions protruding beyond an edge of the supporting sheet, and said socket parts comprising groups of straight spring fingers, iingers of one group being alternate to the iingers of the other group, one group of straight ngers being flexed in a direction away from and opposed to that of the other alternate group of straight fingers.

2. A device of the character described comprising a pair of plates, means comprising socket and stud parts on said plates for coupling the same together and for detachable mounting on a supporting sheet, said plates including portions protruding beyond an edge of the supporting sheet, said socket parts comprising groups of straight spring iingers, fingers of one group being alternate to the lingers of the other group, one group of straight fingers being flexed in a direction away from and opposed to that of the other alternate group of straight ngers, and said straight spring fingers integrally joining the plate in an annular beaded portion.

3. A device of the character described cornprising a pair of plates, means comprising socket and stud parts on said plates for coupling the same together and for detachable mounting on a supporting sheet, said plates including portions protruding beyond an edge of the supporting sheet, said socket parts comprising groups of straight spring ngers, ngers of one group being alternate to the fingers of the other group, one group of straight ngers being iieXed in a direction away from and opposed to that of the other alternate group of straight ngers, said straight spring ngers integrally joining the plate in an annular beaded portion, and said stud parts having iiat bevelled heads at the outer ends thereof.

4. In devices of the character described, comprising spaced plates adapted for detachable mounting on opposed surfaces of a supporting sheet, one plate having a headed stud fixed thereto, the other plate having a spring socket adapted to be engaged by said stud in securing the plates together and to an intervening sheet disposed therebetween, said socket comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced straight spring members integrally joining said plate in an annular beaded portion, and alternate spring members of said socket being normally eXed in opposite directions and away from each other.

JOHN C. CONDON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS England Nov. 2, 1910 

